[RunItUpTheGut]

Another game on ESPN.

Ensworth is a force in TN.
This is the same team that waxed Lex Cath last year 62-14.

Thoughts?

[thsrocks]

I believe the Shamrocks' depth will win out in the fourth quarter. I understand Ensworth uses several players both ways. Chasing Bonnafon around all night should make life difficult for those linemen. 35-28 Trinity.

[LeeCoUKFan]

Unlike last year, this should be one heck of a game! Cornelius Elder was a beast at RB for Ensworth last year. I wonder who they have to replace a talent like that. I do think Trinity will come out on top in this one though.

[hop24]

Another game on ESPN.

Ensworth is a force in TN.
This is the same team that waxed Lex Cath last year 62-14.

Thoughts?

That game was an embarrassment to Ky. football. Think the Rocks will take care of business in this one.

[sstack]

Another game on ESPN.

Ensworth is a force in TN.
This is the same team that waxed Lex Cath last year 62-14.

Thoughts?

Highlands waxed Lex CATH by about the same score. I would put ensworth on about same level as highlands and we have seen what T has done to them in scrimmages the last 4 years. I like T in this one by about 3 scores.

[E's Army]

Rocks by 10.

[warmachine]

What time and what channel will this game be on?

[Iam4thecats]

Ensworth by 14

[Westside]

Ensworth

[Baylorbigdog1976]

There is no way highlands would beat Ensworth... Not a chance. The 2011 trinity team was the best high school football team I have ever watched but I think this years ensworth squad and last years could go toe to toe. They have a massive line that averages 6'4 302 pounds from tackle to tackle. If the defender can make it past that o line they are greeted by a 245 pound fullback. If they make it past his block they have the privilege of tackling a 6'2 inch 225 pound tail back. They look like a well coached college team. Their linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties are all d1 prospects ... Two future 5 stars. The only unproven commodity is their quarterback. Trinity fans will see when they run out on the field for the first time that they are dealing with a different beast of a football team.

Highlands waxed Lex CATH by about the same score. I would put ensworth on about same level as highlands and we have seen what T has done to them in scrimmages the last 4 years. I like T in this one by about 3 scores.

[NastyLaski]

Ensworth will beat Trinity. Ensworth plays a different type of football and will not be fazed by all the Trinity fans who show out at Marshall Stadium. Every player is a character guy who plays will controlled anger. Ensworth by 10.

[AlcoasPaintedBridge]

I agree with BBD on this one. Ensworth rolled up Maryville in a scrimmage a few weeks ago and they were just toying with them.
Best talent Tommy & Bill Frist could buy in Tennessee.
ENS by 10+

[McCameraMan]

Bonnafon for Trinity is a stud. Trinity by 2 scores.

[panther nation]

Still have to stick with the boys from Kentucky. Trinity by 17.

[sportsguru4u]

Trinity is ranked #2 Highschool football team in the country for a very good reason. Trinity 42 Ensworth :Cheerlead24

[Baylorbigdog1976]

Trinity is ranked by one just usa today..

Offensive and defensive line

Huge advantage ensworth

Receivers and running backs

Tie

Quarterback

Even ( both have to show me the money )

Linebackers and defensive backs

Advantage ensworth

I have bragged on trinity the past two years but I just do not see how in the world they will be able to deal with the size and athletic ability if ensworth. This will be the biggest and fastest team trinity has played over the past 3 years.

[sstack]

There is no way highlands would beat Ensworth... Not a chance. The 2011 trinity team was the best high school football team I have ever watched but I think this years ensworth squad and last years could go toe to toe. They have a massive line that averages 6'4 302 pounds from tackle to tackle. If the defender can make it past that o line they are greeted by a 245 pound fullback. If they make it past his block they have the privilege of tackling a 6'2 inch 225 pound tail back. They look like a well coached college team. Their linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties are all d1 prospects ... Two future 5 stars. The only unproven commodity is their quarterback. Trinity fans will see when they run out on the field for the first time that they are dealing with a different beast of a football team.

Did not say Highlands would beat them, said they were on about the same playing field. The team that I saw play Lex Cath last year is not on the same field as T. T would have destroyed them last year and Highlands I feel could have beat them in a close game. T is not down much this year and I think they take it to Ensworth this year too.

[Baylorbigdog1976]

Please ... Highlands and Knoxville Webb would be a good game. If highlands , trinity and ensworth beat lex Cath by 40 last year it would say nothing about a head to head matchup between the schools ..

Did not say Highlands would beat them, said they were on about the same playing field. The team that I saw play Lex Cath last year is not on the same field as T. T would have destroyed them last year and Highlands I feel could have beat them in a close game. T is not down much this year and I think they take it to Ensworth this year too.

[Iam4thecats]

You know how everybody insinuates and wishes and enviously accuses that Trinity does things on an uneven playing field? Well Ensworth openly does all that stuff and its completely legal where they play. Large school private class in TENN. You can recruit kids. You can give free tuition to kids. You can have kids living at the school. Ensworth has won 3 straight championships in that class. To me its not even high school football. Ensworth by 14

[bear claw]

I might have overlooked it but is the game on Friday and what time?

[Granny Bear]

^^
The game is listed on ESPNU at midnight on Friday.

[bear claw]

So they are going to do a replay of the game and not live?

[Granny Bear]

I know!!!! It isn't listed as a replay, but there's no other explanation.

There was supposed to be another game on ESPNU, but I can't remember who it was. I was scanning ESPNU's programming when I saw the Trinity game posted for midnight.

[rebel 4 life]

You know how everybody insinuates and wishes and enviously accuses that Trinity does things on an uneven playing field? Well Ensworth openly does all that stuff and its completely legal where they play. Large school private class in TENN. You can recruit kids. You can give free tuition to kids. You can have kids living at the school. Ensworth has won 3 straight championships in that class. To me its not even high school football. Ensworth by 14

Reminds me. Of a bully picking on the little brother lexcath and know the big brother Trinity is coming to take care of of the bully ensworth Trinity by 28 MAKE KENTUCKY PROUD

[bear claw]

Please, somebody that knows tell me when and what time this game is. We play Saturday night at 8 and I would like to watch some if not all this game.

[Granny Bear]

I'm so sorry to all of you guys!!! Got Pappy in here to help me with the TV schedule; he is King of the Remote. The midnight listing is a repeat; originally aires on ESPNU at 8:00 p.m. Friday.

Very sorry!!

[RunItUpTheGut]

ESPNU
Friday 8/23
8:00 PM

[grimsrud]

Did not say Highlands would beat them, said they were on about the same playing field. The team that I saw play Lex Cath last year is not on the same field as T. T would have destroyed them last year and Highlands I feel could have beat them in a close game. T is not down much this year and I think they take it to Ensworth this year too.

The Trinity team I saw in 2012 had to make a late rally from two scores down to beat MBA 27-23. MBA actually had a Hail Mary shot at the end zone from around midfield on the last play of the game that would have given MBA the upset. Trinity destroyed MBA in 2011 and had the ability and talent to do similar damage in 2012 to an MBA team that was better than 2011 but still not on Trinity's level. A similar under-performance against Ensworth in 2013 will not bode well for the Rocks.

Ensworth beat MBA twice last year, both times by 35-7 margins. With no disrespect meant to LexCath, Ensworth toyed with them last year. Ensworth had many tougher games on the horizon and frankly looked disinterested during the LexCath game, particularly the first quarter, and yet still won by nearly 50.

It's futile to do a comparable score contest, but I can opine with relative certainty that multiple stars would have had to align for Trinity to have destroyed Ensworth had they matched up, much less win. MBA's backs gashed Trinity on some long runs, and none of those backs were on the same par as Ensworth's Corn Elder. Ensworth had a much more effective QB (coach's son) than MBA as well and better WRs. Nevertheless, an EHS-THS matchup would have been a good contest last year - two different styles (Trinity's strong passing game, Ensworth's strong running game) but both effective.

As for 2013, it still should be a good matchup. I'd say both teams will not be as good as they were last year but still have reloaded nicely. Both teams lost too many stars to be as good, but both programs have the pieces in place to reload to a level that's still highly competitive, and likely still the most competitive in each school's respective state.

Ensworth had a highly publicized scrimmage with Maryville a couple of weeks ago. Maryville has been the gold standard of Tennessee's Division I (public school and non-aid private division), going to 12 of 13 title games since 2000 and winning 9 of them. Ensworth demolished Maryville, mainly with a physical, swarming defense, but while it was only a scrimmage, it does speak to the fact that Ensworth is and always has been battle-tested. Maryville gets a challenge from Alcoa and occasionally its state title opponent in a given year, whereas Ensworth has multiple opponents of high quality each year - MUS, Brentwood Academy, and MBA all have found its way into national rankings over the past couple of decades, and their second tier opponents (Baylor, McCallie, and an occasional Division I powerhouse willing to go to war with a heavily-advantaged private school) are solid programs. Of course, Trinity is battle-tested too, but outside of X, they have to find their other battles out of state in most years.

All told, I give Trinity a slight edge due to home field advantage, depth, a better QB, and the fact that Ensworth, as good as they have been, has less than 10 years of varsity experience (I think tradition, and longstanding ones at that, is an important intangible). EHS is small in numbers, but those numbers are very well-conditioned and very well-coached. This is their first real true test on the road while out of state. I don't know what the crystal ball says; conventional wisdom says it will be a close game. Should be a great game regardless and make for some nice bragging rights. MBA took care of business with 3 of 4 close wins over Trinity from 2003-2006; Trinity has had the dominant 4-0 upper hand with MBA and BA in 2011-2012. My guess is the 2013-2014 matchups will be tossups - tight games like the MBA-Trinity games in the mid-2000s - and serve as great exposure for both states.

[DaFootballBears]

Trinity in a close one. Was impressed how they handled Highlands in their scrimmage. Home field plus Bonafon means Trinity 28 Ensworth 27.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Ensworth 27
Trinity 26

1:29 to go

Ensworth TD, going for 2